What Is ATEX

What is ATEX ?
The European Regulatory Framework for

Manufacture, Installation and Use of
Equipment in Explosive Atmospheres
Ron Sinclair MBE

Chair – IECEx ExTAG
ATEX ?
ATEX = Atmosphères Explosibles

ATEX refers to two separate (but related) European
Union (EU) Directives
94/9/EC The “Equipment” Directive
• Concerned with the manufacture and sale of Ex
Equipment
1999/92/EC The “Use” Directive
• Concerned with Classification of Hazardous Areas and the
correct selection, installation, inspection and maintenance
of Ex Equipment
© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
94/9/EC – EQUIPMENT
The ATEX Equipment Directive is primarily

concerned about TRADE
It applies minimum Essential Health and Safety
Requirements (EHSRs) to avoid concerns over
safety being a barrier to trade
94/9/EC is not, itself, law but becomes law in each
member state of the EU when it is “adopted”.
• Adoption without variation is compulsory so it is common
to refer to 94/9/EC as if it is an EU wide law
• Applies to the whole of the EEA (EU plus EFTA)
1999/92/EC – USE
The ATEX Use Directive is primarily about safety of

workers employed in hazardous atmosphere
installations
It specifies MINIMUM requirements but each country
can ADD to, or modify, the requirements
It requires all equipment with a potential ignition
source (electrical and non-electrical) to comply with
94/9/EC
Thus all Ex Equipment sold or installed in the EEA
after June 2003 must comply with ATEX 94/9/EC
HARMONISED STANDARDS
All ATEX EC-Type Examination Certificates are

issued in respect of conformity with the EHSRs
An ATEX Certificate does NOT confirm conformity
with any particular standard
Certain standards are designated as “harmonised”
Conformity to one or more harmonised standards is
ONE way to demonstrate conformity to the EHSRs
Most of the IEC 60079 series equipment standards
(in their EN version) are listed as harmonised
CATEGORIES / EPLs
ATEX divides equipment into Categories according

to how well the equipment is protected against
becoming an active ignition source
IEC TC31 subsequently devised a similar scheme
referring to Equipment Protection Levels (EPLs)
Although the definitions are worded differently, for
most purposes the relevant Category and EPL can
be considered the same
There is a “normal” allocation of Category or EPL to
a given Zone though this can be varied
CATEGORIES / EPLs
Category EPL Zone

1G Ga 0
2G Gb 1
3G Gc 2
1D Da 20
2D Db 21
3D Dc 22
M1 Ma Energised in gas
M2 Mb De-energised in gas
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
Categories 1 + M1 2 + M2 2 + M2 3
(Annex in 94/9/EC) Electrical Non-electrical
EC-Type Examination (III) NB NB
Production QA (IV) NB
Product Verification (V) NB
Conformity to Type (VI) NB + M
Product QA (VII) NB
Internal Control of M
M
Production (VIII) (+ deposit file)
Unit Verification (IX) (NB) (NB) (NB) (NB)

CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
A Notified Body (NB) is a certification body which is

appointed by a member state in the EEA and
“notified” to the European Commission for particular
directives
Some, but not all NBs have accreditation for the
activity
The module “internal control of production” does not
require the intervention of a NB
In some cases, the market will not accept this and
most NBs also issue voluntary Cat 3 certification
PRODUCTION SURVEILLANCE
Production Quality Control – based on ISO 9002

current in 1994
Product Quality Control – based on ISO 9003
current in 1994 – not normally used
Product Verification – suitable only for very low
production runs – NB inspects every item produced
Conformity to Type – a hybrid involving inspection by
the manufacturer to a quality plan agreed with NB
Unit Verification – a hybrid of Type Examination plus
Product Verification concurrently
PRODUCTION SURVEILLANCE
Production Quality Control

ATEX document Quality Assessment Notification
(QAN)
Identical process to IECEx Quality Assessment
Report (QAR)
Most ATEX NBs which are also members of IECEx
use a common system
• ISO/IEC 80079-34 supports and extends current ISO 9001
• EN 80079-34 has additional information relating to non-
electrical equipment
ATEX TOP DOCUMENT
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)

Document created by the manufacturer without NB
involvement
Signed on behalf of the manufacturer “on the day”
the equipment is dispatched
Based on the manufacturer engaging a NB for some
equipment and only on the manufacturer’s own
internal processes for other equipment

ATEX SUPERVISION
Technical – ExNB Working Group

• The ATEX equivalent of IECEx ExTAG
• Chair – Martin Thedens (PTB, Germany)
• Vice Chair – Thierry Houiex (Ineris, France)
• Vice Chair – Ron Sinclair (SGS Baseefa, UK)
Legal – EU Commission Standing Committee WG
• Partly equivalent to ExMC in IECEx
• Provides mainly non-technical interpretations
• Issues “ATEX Guidelines”
• Formally issues ExNB Decision Sheets to public
ATEX SUPERVISION
Standardisation
• EU Commission mandate CEN and CENELEC to write
standards “in support of the EHSRs”
– In practice many are EN versions of IEC or ISO text
• Mandated standards are reviewed by the EU
Commission’s ATEX Consultant, to confirm the standard
does support the EHSRs
• Mandated standards accepted by the consultant are
“harmonised” when their number is published in the
Official Journal of the EU (OJ)
• Conformity to a harmonised standard is deemed to confirm
conformity to the EHSRs
WEAKNESSES OF ATEX
Variable level of accreditation of NBs

• Differs from country to country
Variable level of Conformity Assessment
• Rules are clear but not well understood by the market
Certificates are against the EHSRs and not the
standards
• Even if standards are used to support the EHSRs there is
nothing to prevent “alternative approaches” which are not
clear on the marking or front page of the certificate

STRENGTHS OF ATEX
Legal system with obligatory application in EEA

• Removes barriers to trade within EEA
The name “ATEX” has become well known
worldwide
• Although as IECEx Certificate Numbers grow, IECEx is
“taking over” outside EEA
Certificates are against the EHSRs and not the
standards
• This allows flexibility in adopting new technology ahead of
standardisation (Ex s IEC 60079-33 has been introduced
to allow IECEx to do the same but under more control)
NEW LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK (NLF)
ATEX is one of a number of “New Approach”

directives (including Machinery, EMC, etc.)
Because they were written at different times some
wording differs unnecessarily
Wording to be aligned where possible
New tightened rules on accreditation of NBs
NO change to technical requirements
Existing EC-Type Examination Certificates will
remain valid
IECEx AND ATEX
In 99.5% of cases an IECEx ExTR can underpin an

ATEX EC-Type Examination Certificate as the
technical requirements (IEC and EN standards) are
normally identical
• Only additional marking required
In all cases an IECEx Quality Assessment Report
(QAR) underpins the ATEX Quality Assessment
Notification (QAN)

IECEx AND ATEX
A European IECEx ExCB will often issue both IECEx

and ATEX documentation at the same time
A manufacturer elsewhere in the world can obtain
IECEx reports (ExTR and QAR) locally and submit to
a NB for issue of ATEX Documentation
This is essentially the same process as obtaining
Inmetro Ordnance 179 Certification for Brasil
• In both cases, the receiving certification body will review
the reports and, if necessary, seek clarification, before
issuing local certification

IECEx AND ATEX –
THE FUTURE
EU Commission certainly aware of IECEx and the

UNECE initiative
• EU Commission representative attended a similar UNECE
workshop in 2011
NLF activity has delayed any possible other changes
to ATEX 94/9/EC
Future revisions are possible and may allow for the
specific use of IECEx documents as a direct input
• But even now, an IECEx Certificate can directly underpin a
DoC for Category 3 Equipment, without involving a NB

Thank You
www.sgs.com www.sgs.co.uk/sgsbaseefa

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What is ATEX ?

The European Regulatory Framework for

Ron Sinclair MBE

ATEX = Atmosphères Explosibles

The ATEX Equipment Directive is primarily

The ATEX Use Directive is primarily about safety of

All ATEX EC-Type Examination Certificates are

ATEX divides equipment into Categories according

Category EPL Zone

Product Verification (V) NB

Conformity to Type (VI) NB + M

Unit Verification (IX) (NB) (NB) (NB) (NB)

A Notified Body (NB) is a certification body which is

Production Quality Control – based on ISO 9002

Production Quality Control

Declaration of Conformity (DoC)

© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 12

Technical – ExNB Working Group

Variable level of accreditation of NBs

© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 15

Legal system with obligatory application in EEA

ATEX is one of a number of “New Approach”

In 99.5% of cases an IECEx ExTR can underpin an

© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 18

A European IECEx ExCB will often issue both IECEx

© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 19

EU Commission certainly aware of IECEx and the

© SGS SA 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 20

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